Traverse guide trip



Jan. 13, 1953 c. B. KINGSBURY ET AL 2,625,333

TRAVERSE GUIDE TRIP Filed April 28, 195o 3 sheets-sheet 1 a .Fl-Gaja E I o O fz e a o l e f 2z INVENTORS @mow/cz B. //NGJaz/QY.

@AAP/1 H. CARTE/e.

ATTORNEYS Jan. 13, 1953 c. B. KINGSBURY ET AL 2,625,333

' TRAVERSE GUIDE TRIP INV ENTORS (3L/Dmoz 5. Knysna/PY. PMP/1 b. Caer-f2.

ATTORNEY` Jan. 13, 1953 c. B. KINGSBURYV ET AL TRAVERSE GUIDE TRIP 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 28, 1950 INVENTORS @meow/cz B. /Y//vsaazx ,R94 PH 0927-52.

BY M

ATTORNEKS` Patented Jan. 13, 1953 TRAVERSE GUIDE TRIP Chadwick B. Kingsbury, Elizabethton, and Ralph'- H. Carter, Johnson City, Tenn., assignors to i North American Rayon Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April Z8, 1950, Serial No. 158,654

8 Claims.

This invention relates to twisting machines of the upstroke and double twist type and more particularly to improvements in that portion of the machine used in producing the take-up package and including the reciprocating traverse guide assembly thereof.

It is a primary object of the present, invention to provide means for automatically effecting pivotal removal of the traverse guide out of Contact with the rotating take-up package the instant that the thread breaks or the supply thereof becomes exhausted so as to prevent the traverse guide from idling frictionally over the formed package and damaging the same.

In the operation of twisting machines of the aforesaid type it is common practice to produce yarn take-up packages of the so-called headless, self-supportingtype, In mostcases, however, this necessitates a relatively steep helical angle of wind in order tc impart the necessary rigidity to the package. It is also necessary to place these winds in accordance with a precise, predetermined pattern, and, to do this, it is necessary to have the delivery eye of the traverse guide bear against the take-up package.

These considerations have led to the adoption of the so-called floating traverse guide. In this type of guide the yarn delivery end bears lightly against the take-up package whereas the other end of the guide is mounted in frictionally retained fashion on the reciprocating traverse rod or bar in such fashion as to be able to pivot about the latter. As the take-up package builds up, the traverse guide, lifted by the increasing quantity of wound material, pivots gradually about its frictional mount on the traverse rod, and the delivery end of the traverse guide continues to bear against the material on the take-up package and to exert a substantially uniform and predetermined pressure thereon, A delicate balance must 'be maintained between yarn tension and traverse guide pressure in order to produce av satisfactory self-supporting take-up package possessing the degree of' softness or density required for certain aftertreatments.

Due to the arrangement of the windings, packages of the self-supporting type are easily damaged by any undue force acting on them. A common cause of damage is the continued idling or rubbing of the delivery end of the traverse guide against therotating take-up package after the thread has broken `or the supply of thread is exhausted and Hwhile no fresh llayer of thread or yarn is vteilig vous@ Qiformed. .if the nav- 2. erse guide is allowed to reciprocate frictionally against the take-up package in this fashion it will drag already formed layers of yarn away from the edges of the latter and push them toward the center, causing them to collect in the form of loose oating rings.- These immediately become tangled so that they are difficult to remove in subsequent unwinding operations. In order to prevent this damage to the take-up packages, the machine, under current practice, must be kept under constant surveillance by an operator who must be on the .alert to pivot the traverse guidesmanually out of contact with the package as soon as accidental breaks in the yarn occur or the supply package becomes exhausted. Additionally the operator must note the location of the supply packages which are about to become empty and be ready to pivot the traverse guides of the take-,up packages pertaining to these as soon as the supply of yarn fails.

It is therefore an important object of the invention to make it.possible, by automatically pivoting the traverse guide from contact with the take-up package, to eliminate operator surveillance of a large number of twisting machines despite the ever-presentpossibility of accidental breakage of the yarn and; despite the certainty that, due to the different quantities of yarn present on the various supply packages, the yarn supply of some of the packages will become. exhausted before others.

A further object is to provide an electromechanical arrangement for pivoting the traverse guide out of operating position, wherein said a1'- rangement is -held in inoperative position by normal yarn tension but adapted to come instantly into action upon failureof such tension caused by accidental breakage of the yarn or failure of supply of the latter.

Another object is to provide a simple, foolproof and reliable mechanism for accomplishing the foregoing purposes which can be readily adapted as a unit to existing machinery of the type specified without necessitating extensive structural modifications. y

A still further object is to use a relatively weak magnetic force created by low-cost, safe and economically operated electrical devices and circuits for setting a traverse guidev Y actuating member into a predetermined position and locking it'therein, upon breakage or failurevof the yarn, vand thereupon to use themuch greater mechanical" force inherent in v the reciprocating traverse' bar ofthe machine VinAco'oloerafizion with said pre-positioned 'member for effecting the pivotal removal of the traverse guide from contact with the take-up package.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description thereof given below. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the figures of which show the parts of the arrangement in the positions they assume during their various operative cycles.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a twisting machine wherein the solid lines indicate, for the purpose of this description, the beginning of the rst half cycle of movement of the traverse guide and traverse bar a moment before the yarn breaks. The dotted lines indicate the end of the first half cycle, after the thread has broken or the supply has run out.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation corresponding to Fig. 1 and indicating the beginning of the first half cycle of movement of the traverse guide corresponding to the solid line position thereof shown in Fig. 1.v

Fig. 3 is a partial end View indicating the end of the rst half cycle of movement of the traverse guide and corresponding to the dotted line position thereof shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial end view similar to Fig. 3 showing the traverse guide pivoted away from the take-up package at the end of the second half cycle of movement thereof or end of a complete cycle.

Fig. 5 shows the electromagnetic arrangement of the invention in diagrammatic form and the relative positions of the parts after 75% of the cycle has been completed.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an actuating member suitable for eiiecting pivoting of the traverse guide.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a feeler member and micrcswitch for controlling the electromagnetic circuit in response to breakage of the yarn cr failure of supply thereof.

The invention will be described by way of illustrative but non-limiting example as applied to a twisting machine wherein yarn furnished by a double twist spindle is wound on suitable supports such as cones, spools, cores, or the like, to form take-up packages, e. g. of the self-supporting type.

In the operation of the machine, the yarn or thread supplied by the twisting spindle passes as a running thread over a suitable tension control wheel and thence to a take-up package to which it is delivered by a traverse guide. A feeler member bearing against the running thread at a suitable place along its path controls the circuit of an electromagnet which in turn serves to set a traverse guide actuating member in predetermined position when the thread breaks or the supply thereof fails. The actuating member thereupon cooperates with the traverse guide to cause the latter to be pivoted out of operative position, the pivoting being eected by the force or power inherent in the traverse bar that carries the traverse guide.

In the drawing, I designates the pivoted feeler member which bears against the running thread 2 coming from the twisting spindle 3 and hereinafter considered and referred to as the supply package. The feeler member I is preferably constituted of shaped wire, rod, or the like, and is pivoted as at 4 on a suitable portion of the twisting machine. It is adapted to bear, by gravity, or with the assistance of a spring, against the running thread 2, say at point 5 (Fig. 2). In

a preferred embodiment, an arm 24 of the feeler member l also bears against the arm 6 of a circuit oontrolling arrangement, preferably a so- 5 called microswitch '1, well known in the electrical arts, suitably mounted on a bracket 8 rigidly attached to the solenoid assembly 9. However, feeler member I may be omitted and the arm 6 of the microswitch 'I or other circuit controlling device may be constituted so as to serve the function of the feeler member and bear directly against the running yarn. A more delicate and responsive arrangement, however, is provided by actuating the circuit-controlling member or microswitch through intermediary of a separate, pvoted feeler member bearing against the yarn or thread. The feeler member I and the actuating arm 6 of the microswitch 'I are so arranged that the switch is held in off position so long as tension is maintained on the running yarn 2. However, if this tension ceases, say, if the yarn breaks, or if the supply thereof is exhausted, the feeler I will pivot about 4 as its axis and actuate arm 6 of the microswitch so as to close the circuit to the solenoid 9, causing the latter to lift its plunger Il).

The electric circuit that includes the solenoid and the microswitch is indicated in Fig. 2, the current being supplied by conductor 28 from a plug 29 cooperating with current supply wires 30, 3| and outlet 32 carried, for example, by the frame 33 of the machine. The solenoid 9, through intermediary of its plunger I0, moves into predetermined position a member I I, hereinafter described in detail, causing the member II to strike against the prong I3 of the traverse guide I4.

The traverse guide I4 is illustrated herein as a portion of the operative system of the present invention but the structure per se thereof does not constitute part of the latter, being disclosed in the copending application of R. H. Carter and C. B. Kingsbury, Ser. No. 94,376, nled May 20, 1949. By way of brief description, the traverse guide includes the thread delivery portion I9. a body portion I4, hereinafter referred to generally as the traverse guide, a spring retainer portion 20 and prong I3. Body portion I4 and spring retainer 20 constitute a frictional means for pivotally mounting the traverse guide in a groove on the traverse bar 2i. Due to this mounting, the traverse guide is of the so-called floating type, and, as hereinbefore mentioned, in normal operation, the delivery end I9 bears lightly against the rotating take-up package I5 and maintains pressure thereon, as the yarn body builds up, by fric tionally pivoting about its axis on the traverse bar 2 I. The take-up package of course is rotated by suitable means illustratively shown and not constituting part of the present invention.

rhe traverse guide actuating member, herein identified generally by the numeral ii, is of a shape which may be regarded as a fragment of a helix standing in space, somewhat resembling a portion of a conventional lawn mower blade with an approximately horizontal top portion bearings for pivotally supporting the member II on a rod such as I2. The member, II may, however, be otherwise formed, say of sheet metal, or of a number of individual pieces suitably joined together. The coil bearings 34, 35 may be replaced by pivots or sleeves, or the member may be otherwise mounted to permit free pivoting thereof.

A lug Il extending from one of the coil bearings, e. g. 34, and preferably formed integrally therefrom, engages between the pins I6 carried by the plunger I0 of the solenoid 9 so that, when the solenoid is energized, the member II will be caused to pivot about rod I2 and strike against the prong I3 of the traverse guide I4 as aforesaid. The member II may of course also be operatively connected with the plunger I0 of the solenoid 9 by other suitable means such as links and lost motion devices.

The force with which the actuating member II strikes against the prong I3 of the traverse guide I4 is not necessarily sufficient, however, to cause the travers-e guide I4 to pivot Vaway from contact with the take-up package I5, but it is sufficient to cause actuating member II to maintain contact with prong I3 of the traverse guide I4 for the duration of the first half-cycle of the movement of the reciprocating thread guide as a start in the actual pivoting of guide I4 which takes place subsequently. The traverse bar ZI may carry a large number of pivotedtraverse guides each belonging to a twisting unit. It continues reciprocating regardless of what may happen to the thread of any one take-up package, and, obviously, the thread leading to such a package may break while the traverse guide delivering it is in any position. A complete travel of the trav-erse guide from its maximum left to its maximum right position is hereinafter termed the rst half cycle, and the return stroke, from right to left, is hereinafter termed the second half cycle. The shape of the traverse guide actuating member I I is such, that, as the traverse bar moves to completion of its rst half cycle, the plunger I0 of the solenoid, which remains energized until the running thread is restored, also continues moving, pushing the member 4II as it does so, until the plunger II) finally comes to rest in its maximum attracted position. In this position it magnetically locks the actuating member II in its y operativ-e position ready for engagement with the traverse guide I4 as the latter performs its return or second half cycle movement.

The substantially horizontal top portion I8 of member II, which somewhat resembles a fragment of a helix standing in space Iand which is now locked in predetermined position, acts as a stationary sloping cam against which, during the second half of the cycle of movement of the traverse guide, the prong I3 of the latter is caused to bear, the sloping cam serving to push prong I 3 down and causing the traverse guide to pivot I away from the take-up package and to assume position the delivery end I9 of '.the traverse guidei I4 is' in contact with the take-up package' I5. Fig.

. Wheel 37.

2 illustrates this condition by means of an end elevational view. The running thread 2 (Fig. 2) is under tension and is passing from'the source 3, through the gathering eye 36, over the feed wheel 31 and thence to the take-up package I5. The feeler device I bears against the thread at point 5 and the solenoid 9 is not energized. If the thread does not break orfail, the traverse bar 2I will continue reciprocating the guide I4 while the latter is in contact with the package; the member I I is in inoperative position. i

The dotted lines representing the traverse guide I4, traverse bar 2 I, and actuating member I I in Fig. 1 correspond to the condition shown in Fig. 3 and represent the end of the first half cycle of movement of the parts. The running thread 2 has broken, the feeler member I has swung out at point 5 because of absence of tension on the yarn or thread, the circuit-controlling member or switch is actuated, and the solenoid is vnow energized.

The plunger Il) of the solenoid is shown movingthe actuating member I I into position; the traverse guide I4 is not yet pivoted away from its contact with the take-up package (Fig. 3) since this is merely the end of the rst half-cycle of movement of the traverse bar and traverse guide.- Such pivoting takes place on the return stroke or second half-cycle of movement of the traverse bar and guide, that is, at the end of a complete set of cyclic movements. This latter condition is represented by Fig. 4. Here, the actuating member II, now locked magnetically in its intended tilted operating position by the solenoid 9, acts as a cam-like barrier to the prong I3 of the traverse guide I4 which is being pushed against it by the returning traverse bar 2I. The result is that the cam-like portion I8 ofthe member I I forces the traverse guide I4 to pivot-l away from the package I5. Due to its frictional mounting on the traverse bar, the guide remains in this position until manually replaced. The traverse bar 2| which carries other traverse guides belonging to adjacent twisting units, keeps reciprocating and the lifted traverse guide I4, as it moves to .and fro, cannot cause any damage -to the package with which it was previously in contact. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the cycl-e of movements three-quarters completed. y

It is apparent therefore that it is the force or power inherent in the constantly reciprocating traverse bar of the machine acting in cooperation with the cam-acting portion I8 of the traverse guide actuating member I I that effects the pivoting of the traverse guide. the solenoid is to position the traverse guide actuating member II into predetermined positionl and not to effect the pivoting of the traverse guide directly, the solenoid may be of relatively small size, requiring but a small amount of electric power and, therefore, the use of a large number of such units does not disadvantageously affect4 the overall cost of operating the twisting machine. In the case of a large twisting machine involving a large number of twisting units, all of the solenoids are preferably fed through a master switch which is automatically turned on when the machine is running and off when the machine is idle. Each solenoid and switch assembly may be conveniently mounted on a suitable portion of the frame of the twisting machine. In

the embodiment herein shown it is mounted on a portion of the shaft housing 38` of` the-feed'-l The feed wheel 31 constitutes vpartfV of the twisting machine and serves for aiding inf:

Since the function of.y

conveying yarn under controlled tension from the spindle to the take-up package. It is included illustratively for the sake of completeness. The structure of the feed wheel 3l however does not constitute part of the present invention but is disclosed in the co-pending application of C. B. Kingsbury and R. H. Carter, Ser. No. 132,714, filed December 13, 1949. Rod i2 is held in position by means of brackets 21.

Modications of this invention will be readily recognized by those skilled in the art, and it is desired to include all modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a twisting machine, in combination, a spindle constituting a source of supply of twisted yarn, a rotating take-up package for receiving the yarn coming from said spindle, a traverse guide for delivering yarn to said package and moving over said package and in contact with the yarn thereon, a traverse bar on which said guide is pivotally mounted and by which it is reciprocated, means for effecting pivoting of said traverse guide about said traverse bar and out of contact with the yarn on the package when the running yarn leading to said package breaks or the supply thereof fails, said means including an electrical circuit and comprising -a circuit-controlling member bearing against said running thread, an electromagnet controlled by said circuit-controlling member, said member being arranged to effect energizing of said magnet upon breakage or failure of supply of said thread, a traverse guide actuating member operated by said magnet movable into the path or' said traverse guide in response to energization oi said magnet, said actuating member having a cam surface adapted, when said traverse guide is reciprocated and moved thereagainst by the traverse bar, to pivot said traverse guide about said traverse bar and out of contact with the yarn on said take-up package.

2. In a twisting machine, in combination, a spindle constituting a source ci supply of twisted yarn,- a rotating take-up package for receiving the yarn coming from said spindle, a traverse guide for delivering yarn to said package and moving over said package and in contact with the yarn thereon, a traverse bar on which said guide is pivotally mounted in frictional fashion and by which it is reciprocated, means for eiecting pivoting of said traverse guide about said traverse bar and out of contact with the yarn on the package when the running yarn leading to said package breaks or the supply thereof fails, said means including an electric circuit and comprising a circuit controlling member bearing against said running thread, an electromagnet controlled by said circuit controlling member, said meinber being arranged to operate said magnet upon breakage or failure of supply of saidlthread, a traverse guide actuating member operated by said magnet movable into the path of said traverse guide in response to energization of said magnet, said actuating member having a cam surface adapted, when said traverse guide is reciprocated and moved thereagainst by the traverse bar, to tilt said traverse guide about said traverse bar and out of contact with the yarn on said takeup package, the frictional mounting of said traverse guide on said traverse bar serving to keep said guide out of Contact with said package after once being pivoted out of rcontact therefrom.

8 3. In a twisting machine, in combination, a spindle constituting a source of supply of twisted yarn, a rotating take-up package for receiving the yarn coming from said spindle, a traverse guide for delivering yarn to said package and moving over said package and in contact with the yarn thereon, a traverse bar on which said guide is pivotally mounted and by which it is reciprocated, means for effecting pivoting of said traverse guide about said traverse bar and out of contact with the yarn on said package when tlie running yarn leading to said package breaks or the supply thereof fails, said means including an electrical circuit and comprising a circuit controller for said circuit, a ieeler member bearing against said running yarn and serving to actuate said circuit controller when said running yarn breaks or the supply thereof fails, an electromagnet connected into said circuit by said circuit controller, an armature attracted by said magnet, a pivoted member connected with said armature movable into and adapted to be locked in the path of said traverse guide in response `to energization oi said magnet, said member having a substantially horizontal cam portion constituted as a portion of a helix and disposed at right angles to said traverse guide and adapted to engage with said traverse guide whereby to eect pivoting of said guide about said traverse bar and out of contact with said take-up package when said traverse guide is forced into engagement with said member by said traverse bar.

e. in a twisting machine, in combination, a spindle constituting a source of supply of twisted yarn, a rotating take-up package for receiving the yarn coming from said spindle, a traverse guide for delivering yarn to said package and :roving over said package and in contact with the yarn thereon, a traverse bar on which said guide is pivotallg,r mounted in frictional fashion and by which it is reciprocated, means for eiecting pivoting of said traverse guide about said traverse bar and out of contact with the yarn on package when the running yarn leading to said package breaks or the supply thereof fails, said means including an electrical circuit and comprising a circuit controller for said circuit, a feeler member bearing against said running yarn and serving to actuate said circuit controller when said yarn breaks -or the supply thereof fais, an electromagnet connected in said circuit by said circuit controller, an armature attracted by said magnet, a pivoted rneniber connected with said armature movable into and adapted to be locked in the path of said traverse guide in response to the energica-tion of said magnet, said member having a substantially horizontal cam portion constituted as a portion of a helix and disposed at right angles to said traverse guide and adapted to engage with said traverse guide whereby to effect pivoting of said guide about said traverse bar and out of contact with said take-up package when said traverse guide is forced into engagement with said member by said traverse bar, the frictional mounting of said traverse guide on said traverse bar serving to keep said traverse guide out of contact with said take-up package after having been pivoted out of contactv therefrom.

5. In a twisting machine wherein running yarn is wound to form a take-up package after being twisted and is placed in layer formation on said package by means of a traverse guide pivotally carried on and reciprccated by a traverse bar,- the improvement comp `ising the provision of an electric circuit including an electromagnet, means responsive to yarn breakage or failure for consaid traverse guide is reciprocated by said traverse bar, whereby to pivot said traverse guide out of contact with said take-up package by the power inherent in said traverse bar. i 6. In a twisting machine wherein yarn is Wound to form-a take-up package after being twisted and is placed in layer formation on said package by means of a traverse guide pivotally carried in frictionally mounted fashion on and reciprocated by a traverse bar, the improvement comprising the provision of an electrical circuit including an electromagnet, means responsive to yarn breakage or failure for connecting said electromagnet into said circuit, cam means movable into the path of said traverse guide in response to energization of said electromagnet and adapted to engage with said traverse guide as said traverse bar reciprocates said traverse guide whereby to pivot said traverse guide out of contact with said takeup package by the power inherent in said traverse bar, the frictional mounting of said traverse guide on said traverse bar serving to keep said guide out of contact with said package after once being pivoted out of contact therefrom.

7. In a twisting machine wherein running yarn is wound to form a take-up package after being twisted and is placed in layer formation on said package by means of a traverse guide pivotally carried on and reciprocated by a traverse bar, the improvement comprising means for pivoting the traverse guide out of contact with said package when said thread or yarn breaks or the supply thereof is exhausted, said means including an electrical circuit and comprising, in combination, fan electromagnet, a pivoted member bearing against said running thread, circuit controlling means actuated by said pivoted member upon breakage or failure of supply of said thread and adapted to complete the circuit to said magnet and to energize said electromagnet, a member of cam-like configuration movable by said magnet into the path of the reciprocating traverse guide in response to energization of said magnet whereby said traverse guide is pivoted out of contact with said take-up package when said traverse guide is forced against said cam-like member by said traverse bar. j

8. In a twisting machine wherein running yarn is Wound to form a take-up packagef after being twisted and is placed in layer formation'on said package by means of a traverse guide pivotally carried in frictional fashion on and reciprocated by traverse bar, the improvement comprising .-1 means for pivoting the traverse guide out of contact with said package when said thread breaks or the supply thereof is exhausted, said means including an electrical cir-cuit and comprising, in combination, an electromagnet, a pivoted member bearing against said running thread, circuit controlling means actuated by said pivoted member upon breakage or failure of supply of said thread and adapted to complete the circuit to said magnet and to energize the same,A a member of cam-like conguration movable by said magnet into the path of the reciprocatingtraverse guide in response to energization of said magnet whereby said traverse guide is pivoted out of contact with said take-up package when said traverse guide is forced against said cam-like member by said traverse bar, the' frictional mounting of said traverse guide on said traverse bar serving to keep said guide out of contact with said package after once being pivoted out of contact therefrom.

CHADWICK B. KINGSBURY.

RALPH H. CARTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,295,535 Abbott Sept;.15, 1942 2,367,768 Gibbs et al Jan'.V 23, 1945 

